abroad 2

 Continuing about our 25th anniversary trip: April 18 to Edinburgh. Edinburgh is cool. At the fortress:

In the city:

TEW loved Scotland, and wants to go back.

The next day, a ferry to Ireland, and dinner in Nancy Hands, a pub in Dublin.

 

April 19: around Dublin. We took a tour of the Guinness Brewery. One of the highlights for me was this advertising specialty of a fish on a bicycle:

Regina is not really impressed.

Then to Glendalough. If I got it right, there was a Kevin in the 9th century who'd decided he'd had it with the hustle and bustle of (then) modern life, and moved to the Irish wilderness to be a hermit. Others followed, and a monastery grew up there, which was used for centuries. 

In the Priest's House, above, it's said you can put your hands on the wall and pray for healing. I tried it for a private intention. It can't hurt; nothing else seems to be effective!

April 21: to the Irish National Stud Farm. Horses. Mrah.

Then to Kilkenny. I liked Kilkenny. TEW is more taken with Scotland, but I liked Kilkenny.

Then to Waterford, to the crystal works:

That evening, to a pub in Saratoga to hear a local band. The singer, on the left, had a decent voice, but no rhythm, and told the WORST jokes. The old fellow in the middle, Eamonn, made that concertina dance; he was great.

April 22: Wales. Cardiff, the castle and the city. I liked Cardiff, too. Cardiff Castle is a Victorian recreation of what a disgustingly rich person thought a medieval castle oughta look like. He also showed off his erudition, with wall decorations in Latin, Greek, Hebrew, and Arabic. (I prolly woulda done the linguistic showing off, too.)

All right, there will be a part three...